Many web browsers allow users to have multiple pages open at the same time under different tabs. The different tabs in the browser typically share the same browser session and session cookies. Because all of the tabs share the same browser session, when a user opens a page in a new tab, the new page is already conveniently logged in with the server for that user.
The nature of the tabbed browsing design has, however, created a complication insofar as tracking navigation flows that occur within individual browser tabs. Specifically, multiple tabs in the same browser typically share the browser session so when a request is generated and sent to a server, there is no indication of the tab from which the request originated. In many instances it can be useful to track a user's navigation within a particular domain or website. This can be useful to help domain or website owners understand how users interact with their site. For example, understanding a user's navigation activities can help facilitate marketing or advertising decisions associated with a particular site.
Typically, navigation data can be recorded and correlated regarding a user's activities with respect to a particular browser session. However, as noted above, when a user has multiple tabs open in a browser, because the tabs share the same browser session and session cookies, tracking navigation flows with respect to a single tab cannot be performed.